Amazon India on hiring spree

Amazon India has hired half a dozen top managers in an aggressive hiring spree aimed at consolidating its gains as well as expanding the scope of its business in India’s fast-growing online retail industry.Madhav Chanchani | ET Bureau | February 27, 2016, 10:25 IST

As the sales are going on across 100+ categories, Amazon India has also invested in technology which using machine learning can detect fake sellers and weed them out.BENGALURU: Amazon India has hired half a dozen top managers in an aggressive hiring spree aimed at consolidating its gains as well as expanding the scope of its business in India’s fast-growing online retail industry. The American online retailer has hired former Citibanker Sriraman Jagannathan to lead its payments business, according to two people privy to the development, signalling its imminent entry into one of the most competitive segments for consumer internet companies in India.

In the past three months, the Jeff-Bezos led company -- which competes with market leader Flipkart and the SoftBank backed Snapdeal—has roped in a diverse cast of top executives including McKinsey partner Sameer Khetarpal who will now drive special initiatives for sellers, while veteran marketer Aparna Batra--with experience of managing global brands like whisky maker Glenfiddich and Czech crystal maker Swarovski-- will be the category head for accessories.

It has also poached talent from rivals bringing in Jabong’s Puneet Gupta to head sales and marketing for fashion, food and grocery. Pranav Bhasin formerly with online travel portal MakeMy Trip has been appointed a director of product management.

“The company is also strengthening teams in (key) sectors like fashion,” said one of the sources. Fashion, is one of the biggest categories for online retailers in India, and Amazon estimates that it has seen an over 250% growth in the segment in 2015.

Jagannathan, an IIT Delhi and IIM-Ahmedabad graduate who was until recently the chief digital officer at IDFC Bank, will be one of only three vice presidents within Amazon India, the other two being country head Amit Agarwal and category management head Samir Kumar.

“Amazon is also looking for a replacement for Samir Kumar,” said one of the sources privy to developments at Amazon India. Kumar is heading back to the parent company in the US, which is not an uncommon move. Senior executive Amit Deshpande who led seller services when Amazon first launched operations in India has also returned to the US.

ET was unable to reach Jagannathan for comment on his new role, while Amazon India did not respond to detailed email questions on its hiring plans.

India’s e-commerce market is expected to triple to $68.8 billion by fiscal year 2020 according to estimates by investment bank Goldman Sachs. Finding the right managers to steer such exponential growth is proving to be a key challenge for the country’s top consumer internet companies from market leader Flipkart to SoftBank-backed Snapdeal.

Flipkart has only recently navigated a top management shakeout, with the exit of two key executives – head of commerce Mukesh Bansal and chief business officer Ankit Nagori. India’s most valued internet company estimated to be worth $15.2 billion, has recruited a new second layer of management since last year with most recent appointment a new head for human resources.

Experts are of the view that in comparison to peers, Amazon has a broader view on the work experience of top executives that it recruits.

"Amazon is far more experimental in hiring compared to its competitors,” said Ashish Sanganeria, of executive search firm Longhouse. “Given that (its) processes and global experience are so strong, (the company) can help people from different backgrounds be successful."

Key hires like Bhasin and Khetrapal over the last few months are aimed at strengthening Amazon Seller Services, where it has been making an aggressive push to add more merchants on the platform. Amazon's former fashion and lifestyle business head Vikas Purohit had quit the company in September 2015 to join mobile wallet and online marketplace firm Paytm.